It was Friday night. Tomorrow there would be a town celebration complete with tv crews, speeches by the mayors, and VHL followed by bands in the park and fireworks. The hotel rooms were full, and so were the parking lots, Angel discovered as he slowly drove the Plymouth down Main Street before parking a couple of blocks from the Blood Well.
He got out and started to walk toward the bar as he looked over the car lined street. A packed restaurant off to his left got his attention and he gave a shake of his head at the interest there was in the dome. On the other hand, it was going to be neat he acknowledged with a faint smile as he continued walking.
Footsteps had him looking up at the two boys he didn't recognize walking toward him. They stopped a few feet away.
"McCormick isn't it?" one called.
"Yeah," he answered as he stopped and looked at the school logo on the taller one's shirt, the word 'Sharks' over a smiling great white.
"Where's your girl?"
"Which one?" he asked with a calculated smirk.
"The hot one," the boy on the left answered.
Irritation ran through him and he started walking again. "That's none of your business," he called before turning when a new voice broke in.
"His girls aren't hot," Riley stated as he looked at the other boys. "They're at least 25 degrees cooler than they should be."
"Yeah. That's why we figured he'd know which one we were talking about," the blonde answered as he looked at Riley.
"And it doesn't look like he wants to share either," the boy on the right pouted with calculation.
Riley snorted before starting to walk toward Angel. "He doesn't have a hot one to share. Don't know about a cool one."
"Uh-huh, sure," one of the boys answered before they started to walk away. The two blondes looked back before giving quiet laughs and continuing down the street.
Riley turned to watch them. "Sharks?" he asked. "What are they doing here?"
"I don't know," Angel answered. "I don't remember them ever coming into town before." He hesitated thoughtfully. "Where's Buffy?"
"We're meeting at the Bronze." The Slayer's quarterback stared after the two vampires before turning to Angel. "Look... I know she dated you, but you need to leave her alone."
"I'd never hurt her," he stated quietly.
"Yeah, you would." The sandy haired guy shot him a look before heading across the street toward the Bronze.
A couple of hours later, Melissa made her way into the Blood Well and looked over the crowd before spotting Angel at the bar. He'd just bought a drink and was walking toward the pool tables when she stopped him, and he headed for his car when he heard what she had to say.
Loud music poured out of the old warehouse, and Angel slowly entered before freezing when he saw the larger than expected group of Sharks that were filling it. Most of the rival school wasn't paying attention to him... at least not yet. His eyes flashed to gold before returning to brown as he again looked over the group. A girl was watching him with a smirk of recognition and he ignored her before noticing the Shark's quarterback talking to a group of guys off to the side of the room, and he cursed quietly before a loud female cry came from one of the upstairs rooms.
Buffy. His head shot up and he started for the stairs before being blocked by a slender female body, and he looked down into her glowing eyes. "You're not supposed to be here, *Angel*," she purred.
Flashing his eyes to gold he leaned down slightly. "And you're not supposed to bite unwilling humans."
She scowled. "Adam bit her. Collin broke his nose for that." She gave a shake of her head. "That still doesn't mean you should be here."
"I want to see her," he stated bluntly.
"I don't think..."
"Well well..." a tall blonde broke in as he looked Angel over with dislike. "I didn't know you were invited, McCormick." The blonde cocked his head challengingly. "Where *did* you get your invitation?"
"Cut the crap," Angel growled in a low deep rumble. "You've got something upstairs that belongs to me." He broke off before giving an irritated shake of his head. "That you bit her without her permission, that could get someone in trouble."
Collin stared at the brunette before holding up a hand to stop the advancing Sharks. "We all know we've got a problem," he stated as he glanced over the crowd before looking back at Angel. "She won't submit to us." He took a half step forward. "Do you want to try? Because you're going to have to if you want to take her out of here."
"Yes."
"Then you know you're going to have to make her like it. It's the only way to keep her quiet."
Angel gave a sharp nod.
"Alright." Collin looked over the group. "If anyone has a problem with that, bring it up now." He nodded when the only response was muttered curses and soft growls. "I didn't think you would." He looked back at Angel. "She's up here." He started up the stairs, and Angel followed before turning back when the door cracked against the wall. "Nice digs if you can't do better," Spike's voice rang through the room contemptuously.
"I don't know," Doyle broke in. "It seems kind of appropriate somehow... you know?"
"Yeah," Spike muttered as he warily looked over the darkened interior before spotting Angel on the stairs. "Angel," he called. "Is Buff here?"
"Upstairs," Angel answered before looking over the group below him tensely. As a general rule, they looked ready to fight, and he turned back to his friends. "You guys coming or what?"
Spike and Doyle entered the warehouse and wove through the Sharks before heading up the stairs. "You stupid Collin?" Spike asked as he reached Angel and the blonde next to him. "You come into our town and then start biting humans at random?"
"Coming into your town, Spike? Yeah, we wanted to join the celebration," Collin agreed as he started back up the stairs. "And as far as humans go, they're interesting," he shot a look at the brunette at his side, "and maybe more *giving* than our girls. Don't you think so, Angel?"
Knowing the score, he kept his mouth shut, but that didn't stop him from tensing when a boy started down the stairs. There was fresh blood on him, and he felt Spike grab his arm as Doyle shifted to his side.
"Blood Suckers?" the lanky basketball player growled. "What the hell's going on?"
"They want their shot... unless... Did she respond to you?"
"I think we need to send a chick in," the guy stated.
Angel snorted and stared coldly at the boy that brushed past him before Spike and Doyle pushed him into the room Collin had just entered.
"She's in there." The blonde motioned to a door before pulling a key out of his pocket. He held it out and waited for Angel to take it before stopping him when he started toward the room. "She doesn't leave until she's more... easy," he stated quietly. "And I hope you're successful. I really don't want to see her hurt more than she already is."
"And who's fault is it she's hurt at all?" Angel asked threateningly.
Collin held up his hands. "Not mine. All I'm trying to do is clean up the mess." He returned the look Angel was giving him before leaving the room.
Silence fell, and Angel closed his eyes and took a calming breath before walking to the door. The key slipped into the lock, and he slid into the darkness before firmly closing the door behind him.
The wounds on her throat hurt, and she could feel the blood sticking to her fingers from where she'd touched them. She pulled herself into a tighter knot and fought to get her breathing under control. God... How did she get into this mess, and more importantly, how was she going to get out of it?
Noise from the room outside had her heart sinking. She wasn't going to get out of it. The door opened, and she looked up, not that it helped. There was just the faintest hint of light before it closed again, and she tried to push farther into the wall as the steps got closer. There was a soft rustle of fabric before a hand brushed strands of hair from her face.
"Go away," she ordered before struggling uselessly when hands pulled at her. She found herself in a lap a couple of seconds later as strong arms enfolded her securely.
"Buffy," Angel murmured as she fought against him. "It's Angel. Shhh..." he soothed before he felt one of her hands grip his arm.
"Angel?"
"Yeah." He kissed the top of her head before silence fell for several minutes as Buffy slowly quieted. God, she felt good he thought as her warmth soaked into him, the scent of her blood filling his senses. Going with the feeling, and doing his best to remember what Andrew had told him, and what Buffy had shown him, he dropped his head down to hers before sliding a hand under her blouse and starting to caress her stomach.
The blonde tensed before pulling away. "What are you doing?" she hissed as she stumbled her way into a corner.
Soft movements alerted her to his closeness, and she tensed again as he sighed. "Relax. I won't hurt you." Disbelief ran through her before she was again pulled into his lap and held tightly. "What happened?"
"I was going to the Bronze," she stated quietly. "I was walking past the alley... the one across from the gas station." She took a breath before pressing her face against him. "They asked about you... and..." she broke off as fresh tears fell.
He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry."
Silence fell. "Why won't they let me go?"
His arms tightened before he forced them to loosen. "I want to get you out of here... but they won't let me do that until you're more cooperative."
"No," she stated firmly. "That's not happening."
"Shhh... he soothed. "I know you're having second thoughts about us... and I don't blame you, but I'm not ready to let you go."
She snorted. "You don't have to lie to me, Angel."
"I'm not." He gave a faint smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I can commit if..." he broke off uneasily. "I mean, friends with benefits might be better... but we can talk about it later. Alright?"
She was silent for a long moment. "I don't know." She shifted away, turned back before reaching for the side of his face. Her hand awkwardly grazed his nose, his eyelid, before finding his cheek, and she took a breath. "Maybe we shouldn't."
He twisted to kiss her palm before nuzzling into it.
That was when she realized she wasn't going to make it out of the closet without another bite. Her stomach twisted and her heartbeat increased. Yeah, she was in trouble... but Angel was with her, and she'd trust him, she decided fiercely. His hand slid behind her head, and she was pulled in for a kiss.
Relief flooded him when she returned it before he broke away and urged her onto her back. She went to the floor, and he followed before leaning in to nuzzle against her cheek, her shoulder, slowly shift to the v of her shirt. She gave a soft cry of pain when he nuzzled into her throat.
"Bite?"
"Yeah."
"Sorry." He hated that others had bit her... And it didn't help his confidence that she'd been hurt rather than turned on as a vampire might have been even under these conditions. Oh, the guy would have had a fight on his hands, but the bite itself wouldn't have caused pain, only encouraged them to submit to their own desires.
"It's okay. Just... "
He didn't want to hear how different they were and he cut her off with a kiss. She was. so. fucking. hot, he decided a few minutes later, when his hips were in the cradle of her thighs and her hand was buried in his hair.
He fought back irritation. He had to bite her, but that was it. He didn't have to highlight their differences more than he had to. On the other hand humans didn't purr either, but... he nuzzled her ear with a low rumble, if she liked it, he was more than willing to accommodate.
Angel," she breathed a couple of minutes later as she arched against him.
He gave a soft growl in response before dropping his head to her throat and shifting into game face. She didn't protest when his fangs grazed her throat, and he eagerly lapped at the small scratch as her ragged breathing filled the darkness. It was the assurance he needed, and he firmly rocked his hips into her thighs before sinking fangs into her throat when she came.
Oh God... He closed his eyes as she gave a quiet cry and collapsed beneath him. She felt like she was on fire... and her blood was amazing. He allowed himself a moment to rest against her before rolling them so she was on top as he fought to return to his human face. It wasn't easy though especially when her hand drug across his ridged forehead before finding his cheek. She didn't pull back though, and that thought registered a couple of seconds after he'd gotten control and opened dark brown eyes.
Buffy slowly shifted her legs down on either side of him before sitting up. He'd bit her... and given her the most incredible experience she'd ever had.
"I..." she broke off, and Angel purred encouragingly as his hands moved up her thighs. "Angel..." She looked down trying to see him. She couldn't though, and gave up before feeling his hand touch her cheek, not with her awkwardness, but easily. He could see. She placed a hand over his. "I can't... umm," she broke off. "We'll need a condom if..."
"Hey..." Spike's voice came through the door. "I don't want to interrupt anything, but we're surrounded by Sharks," he muttered loud enough they could hear. "Maybe it's time we start thinking about *leaving*."
Angel grimaced and watched as Buffy's face went from nervous to horrified as she realized he wouldn't have called through the door if he thought they weren't done. "It's okay," he murmured as he sat up and cupped her face with his hands, his thumbs lightly caressing her cheeks as he studied her. "One question though. Are you okay?"
She took a breath before nodding. "I think so... but it *hurt* and I couldn't get away. He wiped at her tears with remorse. "But..." she started before breaking off. Should she tell him that since *him*, she'd looked at the guys at her school with less interest than she had before?
"Hey..." Doyle hissed. "This isn't a good situation out here."
Angel sighed before lifting her off. "Come on, Buff... let's get you out of here." He got to his feet and helped her up before opening the door to find his friends waiting tensely on the other side.
Buffy bumped against him, and he noticed her disorientation before looking over the faint light in the room. A moment later, he glanced back at Spike and Doyle. They were both somberly studying the girl standing slightly behind him, and he pulled her to his side before anchoring her there. "I guess we should head downstairs now?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah mate," Spike agreed as he looked Buffy over curiously before stepping closer to her. "You ready, Buff?"
The concern in his voice surprised her, and she looked up at the dark shadow uncertainly before nodding. "Yeah," she answered quietly. "Unless," she glanced in the direction of the faint light hopefully, "we can go out the window."
Doyle chuckled softly, but the amusement didn't reach his eyes. "Sorry. I don't think that will work."
"Then it's the door," Angel murmured... but he didn't take a step toward it as he listened to Buffy's heartbeat and waited for her to make the first move.
She hesitated and tried to come to terms with the idea that they'd all know what happened. Her stomach dropped sickeningly at the thought, a knot formed... and she shifted closer to Angel. "God, I hate vampires," she breathed as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before brushing a hand over her dirt covered outfit. A moment later, she nodded. "Let's get out of here."
Angel kissed the top of her head before guiding her out of the room.
Buffy walked slowly down the dark stairs as Angel helped her to the lower level. The silence that greeted them was uncomfortable, and the three friends looked over the crowd cautiously as Buffy concentrated on following Angel's lead.
A small group of Sharks met them at the bottom of the steps, and Collin took a deep breath as Angel pulled Buffy closer. "We're done here," Angel stated coolly. "So why don't you..."
"Not so fast." Collin walked closer to Buffy. "I think you'll understand we have to make sure the job's properly done."
Silence filled the room before it was broken by snorts and sarcastic remarks from the teenagers watching. Collin's cool fingers touched Buffy's cheek before she slapped it away. "Go to hell."
"Come on sweetheart. Surely Angel told you it wouldn't be that easy," the blonde stated as he studied her. "You want to leave? We need proof our little game won't get us in trouble. Even though," he smiled and sniffed the air, "I can easily tell you've been taken care of."
Mortification ran through her, and she shifted uneasily as Angel's fingers dug into her... but he didn't move, or speak as Collin waited for her response. "I won't tell," she offered quietly.
"Ahh..." Gunn walked over to face her. "Too bad that's not good enough."
She glared at him. "Fine," she ground out. "Then what do you want?"
A scattering of laughter had Angel growling, his eyes shining gold as he stared at the group blocking their exit. "They want to see my bite, Buffy."
Her face burned, but she pulled her hair out of the way and bared her throat. Gunn leaned down and scenting the mark before placing a languid lick to it that had her pulling back from him. Angel's grip kept her from going too far though, and Gunn studied her thoughtfully. Bruising was evident on every mark on her except McCormick's, and he reached out to run fingertips over it in a series of caresses that had her feelings twisting inside her.
She froze, swallowed thickly... It was sick, she knew it was... but how that particular bite had been given to her was tied to her first orgasm with Angel. He was holding her fast against him, her leg and hip were pressed to his, her shoulder tight against him, his arm wrapped almost bruisingly around her waist... Her body responded as a sudden surge of heat ran through her, her breathing hitched, and with a soft sound she dropped her head toward the brunette holding her, and at the same time unwittingly bared her throat to Gunn.
Low growls filled the air, and Angel's eyes went to gold as Buffy pressed her face into his side.
"Fuck..." Spike snarled, and Angel shot him a warning look before returning his gaze to the Sharks that were staring hungrily at Buffy. He stepped back and pulled her with him... and away from Gunn's caressing fingers.
"We're leaving now," he growled threateningly as he forced his eyes to brown.
Gunn studied him before giving a faint smile and shifting out of the way. The hisses that followed were shut down by Collin as he forcefully stated it was over, that they were off the hook.
Angel took a moment to look them over before pulling Buffy out of the building and into the parking lot. "You guys bring a car?" he asked without bothering to look back.
"Brought the truck," Doyle answered as they moved briskly across the graveled area.
Angel was silent as he made his way to the Plymouth and opened the passenger door before urging Buffy in. "Then let's get the hell out of here," he muttered.
"Sounds like a plan," Spike agreed before grabbing Angel's arm as he started back around the car. "Is she good?" he asked quietly.
Angel didn't answer as he moved to the driver's side and slid in before sliding the key into the ignition. Dark brown eyes studied her, and Buffy fidgeted nervously. "Where to?" He asked quietly hoping for a smile. "Your place or mine?"
"Home's good," she answered as she watched Doyle and Spike get into a truck a few feet away.
"Alright," he agreed as he started the engine and pulled out of the lot. "Your mother's at the VHL conference isn't she?"
She glanced at him feeling a warmth seep through her that she didn't know how to respond to. She turned away. "Yeah."
She was out of the car the moment it stopped, and Angel used inhuman speed to catch her. "Can we talk?" he asked cautiously.
She glanced at him before looking away. "Alright. Yeah," she agreed as she walked up the sidewalk, worked the lock on the front door and then waited for him to enter before flipping on the lights. The room lit up, and she wasn't sure if she was grateful for the light she'd been denied or whether she'd rather not be able to see his beautiful face so clearly. She walked into the kitchen and her hand shook as she poured a glass of orange juice. "Um... Can... Can I get you something?"
"No. I'm fine." He forced a smile that she didn't look up to see, and watched as she sat down before taking the seat opposite her. Silence filled the room as Angel watched her stare at the table. He sighed before looking away and running a hand through his hair.
"I, um... won't tell anyone," she stated quietly. "The dome's safe."
"What about us?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head and stared at her lap. "No strings. That's what you wanted."
Silence fell. "I want to try... and no biting," he added firmly.
She looked up through tears. "Friends with benefits?"
He got up and circled the table before crouching down at her side and looking up. "I'm sorry."
She took a hitching breath and looked away. "You don't have to do this, you know?"
"I know... I just want to. Do you?"
She wiped at tears before swallowing and getting to her feet. "Angel," she started. "I'm tired, and I could use a friend." She reached out a hand and waited for him to take it before leading him into her bedroom. Her face burned as she closed the door, but that didn't stop her from looking up at him. "I need a friend," she repeated, "to stay with me for a while." She backed toward the bed, her eyes locked on his as he followed.
"A friend," he murmured as she pulled back the comforter and kicked off her shoes, "I can do that," he agreed as he slid out of his shoes and joined her under the covers. Buffy slid onto her side exhaustedly, and he spooned her. Snuggling deeper into his arms, she finally managed to fall asleep to his soft purrs.
Angel woke when his cell phone rang, and he pulled it out of his pocket with annoyance before looking at the number. "Spike," he growled as he glanced over the empty room and noticed the alarm clock. It was almost 2 am. "What do you want?"
"Hey... don't bite my head off," the bleached blonde rolled his eyes. "I just want to know what's going on. I mean, is she hooked or what?"
The brunette dropped back on the bed before giving a humorless smile. "Somehow I don't think she enjoyed it that much."
"Oh... I think she enjoyed it," Spike drew out as he watched another couple head for the side door of the Blood Well.
Angel snorted and stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "She's not like our females Spike. It's so easy to hurt her..." he trailed off before giving a shake of his head. "Did you see the bruises she had just from a couple of bites? It looked like someone hit her."
"It wasn't like you had much of a choice mate." Silence fell, and Spike sighed before shaking his head. "Humans can like it, Angel. My question is did you?"
"Yeah," he answered quietly as he thought back to the closet. "It's just not the way I wanted it to happen."
"I get that," he answered before glancing up as Lindsey sat at his table. He turned his attention back to the conversation. "Is she okay?"
"Angel?" Buffy walked into the room, and his eyes shot up to her face.
"Buffy..." he greeted quietly as he punched his cell phone off. "Hey. I wondered where you'd went."
She wiped at a few stray tears. "I woke up a few minutes ago." She studied him with both sadness and interest as he sat up in her bed, his clothes and hair rumpled before she turned away and looked at a slice of light on the wall. "How did you... um, find out I was with the Sharks?"
"A girl came into the Blood Well... She said she was at the Shark's party and recognized you when they brought you in."
"Who was it?"
"I think her name was Melissa." Angel ran a hand through his hair. "I know she was human."
"She must be an Initiative," Buffy murmured. "I'm really glad she let you know."
"Me too."
She stared at the floor. "Mom's going to be back sometime tomorrow."
"Mom and dad should be back sometime before dawn."
She nodded tiredly before forcing herself to look at him. "I..." she broke off and took a breath, wiped at tears. "I suppose they'll worry if you're not home. You should go."
He slid out of the bed and walked over to tug her against him. "I'm sorry," he murmured before hesitating. "Why don't we meet tomorrow night and watch the fireworks? I can pick you up here... maybe at nine?"
"I don't... I'm not sure we should."
He frowned as a silence fell. "A group of us are planning on meeting at the Blood Well, and then we're going to pile into cars and head for the fireworks display. There will probably be about 30 of us going. I mean, the Sharks *will* leave us alone."
She pressed her face into his chest as a silence fell before she shook her head. "Go with Gwen."
He gave a quiet snort. "I'll go solo. Wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea."
"Don't do it for me," she stated quietly. "I'm okay with it."
"You might be, but I'm not." He placed a firm kiss on the top of her head and tugged her closer before shifting away and sliding into his shoes. "See you at school Sunday?"
She nodded. "Yeah."
He hesitated. "I hate what they did to you."
She wiped at tears with her shirt sleeve. "Thanks for getting me out of it."
He hesitated before turning to leave, and she listened as he quietly closed the door when he left. More tears fell until she was sobbing. It wasn't fair to try to keep him, so that meant letting him go. The thought hurt, and she drug in a breath before climbing back into bed. She'd have to deal with Angel later. She couldn't do it now.
There was a light sprinkling of rain on the windshield when Buffy pulled into the Blood Sucker parking lot on Sunday night. She parked the car before turning to look at the science book in the passenger seat. She'd thought about staying home, but had discounted the idea. There was no way she wanted her mother to think anything was wrong. She hesitated, continued to stare blindly at the passenger seat before looking up at a tap on the window. Angel. She took a breath and reached for her book before stepping onto the gravel. "I... um..." she trailed off uneasily.
"It's alright," he murmured before turning his attention to her neck. It looked healed, and relief ran through him before he realized she'd used makeup to hide the punctures. "I mean, no one knows."
"That's good," she stated quietly before glancing at her watch. "I guess classes start in 10 minutes."
"Yeah," he agreed.
She forced herself to glance at him before heading toward the school and walked in nervously when Angel opened the door. There were kids standing by lockers or heading for class, but no one paid attention to her as they walked through the halls. They found their seats, and she listened to the quiet conversations that were broken with laughter as the room filled up, but she didn't feel eyes on her, and when she looked up no one was looking her way.
Mr. Davis walked in a few minutes later and sat on the edge of his desk. The bell rang and he looked them over with a smile. "That was quite a weekend, wasn't it? I think I saw Dragons, Sharks, and Piranhas in town. From what I heard, the town councils were just waiting for a fight to break out, but I figured you kids would be making friends with each other before the weekend was out."
Snorts and growls went through the room, and Mr. Davis's smile grew wider. "We're going to be a bit of a curiosity for a while, but things should quiet down in a few months." He turned to Buffy. "And I suppose you know, Ms. Summers, that if you want a tan you'll have to be out from under the dome?" She looked at him, and he glanced over the rest of the class. "And even under the dome, it'll still be a good idea for vampires to wear sunglasses." He stood up and turned to the blackboard. "Well, I guess I need to start class. It's going to be a pretty easy day. I thought we'd start with a pop quiz and then you can get started on your homework."
A few irritated comments filled the room, and he grinned as he started writing questions on the board.
Fifty minutes later:
Angel and Buffy entered the library when Buffy's name was called, and she turned to the librarian who was giving her a warm smile.
"Did you see the fireworks?" the older woman asked.
The blonde nodded before forcing a smile. "Yeah. I could see them from my house."
"I took my grandson to the park, and he got so excited I didn't think he ever would calm down," Mrs. Manning stated.
Angel glanced over to where Andrew was sitting before turning back to Buffy. "I'll be right back, okay?"
She nodded, and he left before coming back a few seconds later with an algebra book and a cup of blood. He smiled at the talkative librarian before guiding Buffy to a table in the back of the room.
They dropped their books and sat down. Silence fell before Angel sat back in his chair. "What are your plans after graduation?" he asked quietly.
She looked up with surprise. "Mom... um... wants me to help at the art gallery."
Angel nodded. "I'm staying in town too. I've signed up for some art classes, and I'd like to learn how to be a mechanic."
She couldn't stop from giving a faint smile. "Courses in art and mechanics... that's kind of... odd."
He grinned. "Yeah... but I'm hoping someday to work for myself... I'm just not sure in what profession."
"Well, if you need to show some pictures, I think you've got a pretty good shot at finding a gallery."
He smiled and dropped his eyes back to the table. "Um... Dru and Spike are moving in together. They've found a place close to the college that has reasonable rent, and a few empty apartments."
She looked up curiously. "Is that the place that's expanding on 7th street?"
"Yeah."
She gave a faint smile. "Willow and Oz are moving into apartment 8."
He looked up with interest. "Spike and Dru will be in 10."
Silence fell, and he played with the Styrofoam cup. "I think they have some 2 bedroom apartments..." he broke off before looking up. "Would you even consider moving into one of them with me?"
"Angel..." she broke off as tears gathered. "I'm not sure I can give you what you want. I mean, I'm not sure I can be much more than a roommate." She took a breath and forced herself not to look away.
His eyes lit with warmth before he gave a shake of his head. "Friends with benefits is enough right now... And I was reading online that human/vampire relationships are a lot safer when you gag the vampire."
She couldn't stop from giving a shake of her head before pushing hair behind her ear. "I suppose you're going to want handcuffs and chains next?"
"Handcuffs and chains?" he asked uncertainly. "What for?"
She made a quiet sound of annoyance. "Why is it that *Andrew* knows more about this kind of stuff than you do?"
He shrugged. "He's a nerd." She rolled her eyes but he continued to look at her in confusion. "Is it normal?"
She felt her face flush. "It um... it's a little kinky."
"Kinky?" he asked again.
Her eyes shot to his. "You can't be this clueless."
His eyes lit with amusement. "I can... but that's not the point." Silence fell and he sobered. "So... do you want to try?"
Buffy took a breath. "We'll need to go slow."
He nodded. "We'll get an apartment with 2 beds... and all the gags and chains you want."
She took a breath. "So we've got a plan?"
He smiled. "We've got a plan."
A few weeks later, Buffy was critically looking over an apartment before turning when Angel carried in a couple of boxes. "Have you decided what room you want?" he asked as he dropped them on the sofa.
"The one with the largest closet," she answered before picking up a box and heading down the hallway.
"You know we could *share* it, right?" Angel called after her.
"Maybe," she called back as she disappeared into a room.
He grinned before going out to carry in more boxes.
Buffy put the box on the bed before opening it. The section of newspaper lying on top got her attention and she picked up the Senior Beat. She hadn't had a chance to look at it before leaving the house and she took a moment to look over the four large group shots of each school's senior class. She hesitated, gave a shake of her head before flipping the section open.
The first photo that caught her attention was Ethan and Ripper wearing aprons and surrounded by trash bags. She smiled before looking at some of the other photos. There was a picture of the Freaky Fang's school sign painted with 'Home of the Freaks', a line dance at the basketball game, 'Losers' spelled out in dead grass on the Blood Sucker's lawn... Angel, Spike, Lindsey, and Doyle standing under a streetlight at the car lot with Xander and Riley. She flipped the page and saw a picture of Snyder on the stage at the Bronze, a photo of Jonathan and Andrew at the dance... one of her and Luke dancing at the Bronze. She looked at it uneasily before noticing a photo of Sharks facing off against Nest and Darla.
She took a breath and decided she'd look at the other pages later before going out to help Angel and Doyle unload the truck.
The end
